Ireland Architects

We had the absolute joy of visiting Pleasant View Elementary School this year to present to five fantastic classes! It was a true family affair—I was joined by my mom, Dr. Jeannie Ireland (retired MSU Interior Design professor), my husband Ken Turner, my daughter-in-law Brooke Turner (a former SPS school nurse), and even my grandson Hudson! Our newest employee, Emily Jones, also joined us for a second year after attending last year as an intern.

We taught the students how to "read" architectural blueprints, and then we put them to work on a hands-on structural challenge: building full-sized chairs out of empty blueprint storage tubes (a huge thank you to Reprographics for donating the tubes!).

The kids did an excellent job. We divided each class into two teams to assemble their chairs. They learned firsthand that while a single cardboard tube might buckle, combining several tubes together creates a strong structure—strong enough to easily hold up their teacher!

A few highlights that made the day so special:
💡 We made sure to talk about how it doesn’t matter if you are a boy or a girl—anyone can grow up to be an architect or a builder. It’s a message I love sharing with young minds.
💡 We gave each child a gift bag with a small notepad and pencil so they can start sketching out their own buildings, rooms, and spaces at home.
💡 We ended up presenting in the exact same classroom that Kennie sat in as a student 51 years ago! Talk about a full-circle moment.

To top it all off, I received the most hilarious and awesome thank-you note from one of the students.

Days like this remind us exactly why we love what we do every single day.

Every year, Kris Evans invites me to the The Victim Center Breakfast of Hope, and every year, I leave more grateful than the last.

The Victim Center provides free, confidential support to survivors of crime and trauma in our community. This support includes crisis intervention, counseling, legal advocacy and support groups. They show up for people on some of the hardest days of their lives.

The need is real. Research shows that about 1 in 4 girls experience some form of sexual abuse before age 18, and roughly 34% of sexual assault victims under 18 are younger than 12 years old. It breaks my heart to know these numbers represent our neighbors, our kids, our community.

Being in that room each year is a powerful reminder of how strong survivors are, and how critical organizations like the Victim's Center truly are. I'm proud to support their work and grateful to be part of a community that shows up for each other.

At the Springfield Contractors Association’s recent monthly meeting, several past SCA scholarship recipients shared their stories, and it was truly inspiring.

These scholarships aren’t just for construction majors. Design and engineering students are eligible too. Hearing firsthand how even a few hundred dollars can make a real difference in a student’s journey, and even shape their career path, was powerful.

A big thank you to SCA for investing in the next generation of professionals. Supporting students like these is a meaningful step toward solving Springfield’s workforce challenges.

Thanks to Branco Enterprises, Inc for sponsoring the meeting!!

It’s always a win for Springfield when a building gets a second life, especially in a spot with as much history as Midtown. We’ve been working closely with James and Lisa Tillman on the design for the newest area Huey Magoo’s at 731 N. Benton—right across from Central High and Drury University.

This one is a fun challenge for us. The building dates back to 1932 and is only about 1,250 square feet, which is roughly half the size of a typical location. Our job is to make every single inch count, redoing the entire interior from the plumbing and electric to the "grab and go" flow, all while keeping that classic exterior look the neighborhood knows.

We love these kinds of puzzles—figuring out how to fit a modern franchise into a historic shell while fitting into the neighborhood's character.

We listen, we communicate, we deliver. Every time.

Huey Magoo's
Tillman Properties
Springfield Business Journal

Read more here:
https://sbj.net/stories/huey-magoos-targets-newest-location-in-midtown,104028